


Too Late

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Series: Red Hood!Dick AU [8]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-07-07
Packaged: 2018-04-08 03:01:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4288245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>His work was all for naught. Damian was killed, and the Red Hood wasn't there to save him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Too Late

**Author's Note:**

> This story is stand alone, and set in the future somewhere. This AU’s take on the dreaded Batman Inc 8 scenario. Damian had been staying with Dick and heard his father was in danger, so snuck away from Dick’s protection. This is when Dick finally got to Wayne Tower.

He was barely through the broken doors when he heard it. That slice of a blade, the squelch of blood exploding its veins, the splash of it hitting the ground. But none of that compared to the gasp of surprise – of pain, of disappointment, of defeat – that escaped Damian’s lips on impact.

Dick’s soul clenched. His heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest, bile rose in his throat. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

One of the archers turned towards him, arrow knocked, and Dick didn’t hesitate. He raised his gun, shooting at everyone and anyone who came near him. There were no knee-shots. None through the hand or arm. Throat and head or bust.

He saw Tim and Stephanie across the floor, trapped under a tank. He shifted towards them, but realized that they were safer there. The archers and gunmen didn’t have clear shots to them. Jason was across the floor, lying in the remnants of a glass case. He was half covered in some sort of sheet or cape. He wasn’t close enough to classify what the material was exactly, but he could tell the younger man had been covered for his own protection.

“No…” he breathed, still shooting, suddenly running across the floor. No, this couldn’t be happening. This…this was a dream. His worst _nightmare_.

Everything else fell away as he approached the body. There was nothing else, no people, no smells, no sounds. Just Damian’s form, sprawled across the floor, arrows sticking out of his limbs, clear broken bones, face frozen in that one last look of fear and surprise.

“No…no, no, no…” The word kept falling from his lips in a cascade, as he collapsed to his knees. He reached out, praying, hoping, _begging_ for a pulse, and knowing there wouldn’t be one. Damian’s skin was already cooling, already graying.

Dick felt a sob leave his throat, his eyes already brimming with tears as he lifted the child from the ground. Gently, carefully, as if Damian’s body would crumble away if he was too rough, he pulled the boy to his chest, resting Damian’s forehead against this throat. He kept his hand cupped against Damian’s cheek, kissing at his hair as tears dropped from his eyes.

He doesn’t know how long he sat there, curled around the body of the child soldier – the child soldier who was never supposed to _be_ – ignoring the noises of fighting around him. He only moved once, to shoot a man who was getting too close to Nightwing’s prone form. And that was when another fearful thought struck Dick – oh _god_ , what if Jason was dead too?

But he wasn’t. A few seconds later, he saw Jason’s body twitch, heard him give a low groan.

It was a few minutes – or was it an hour? A day? Seconds – before Dick heard the crunch of boots from a new player. A new arrival. His heartbreak transformed into primal fury as he realized who it was.

Bruce.

“Oh god, no…” He heard Bruce whisper, before the snapping footsteps neared him. Dick felt his grip on Damian’s body tighten. “No…no, Damian!”

Dick grit his teeth, picking up his gun once more, and holding it up in Bruce’s direction. Bruce had the audacity to look surprised as Dick clicked off the safety.

“Dick, please…” Bruce whispered.

“Get away from him.” Dick hissed, glancing over to see Tim helping up a woozy Jason. “You get the _fuck_ away from him right now.”

“He’s my son…”

“You’re damn right he is.” Dick’s voice was loud, echoing in the destroyed lobby. “He is your son and you let this happen to him. You let some _good for nothing piece of shit_ do this to him!”

Despite the gun, Bruce took a step forward, face blanching as he took in Damian’s injuries.

“Where were you?” Anger rolled through every word. “Where the _hell_ were you that you couldn’t be here to protect them? To protect _him_?!”

“…I…”

“You let them all jump to your aid. You let them _all_ risk their _lives_ , just for you!” Dick’s voice was rising, becoming shrieks as tears continued down his face. “And for what? Huh? What makes you so fucking worth _dying_ for?!”

Suddenly, Dick felt a hand run across his shoulder, saw another hand wrap around his, the one supporting Damian’s neck. Stephanie.

“You never deserved him, Bruce. You _or_ Talia.” Dick spat, letting Stephanie pull him back against her chest. “You never deserved Damian, you never deserved Tim. Or Steph or Jason. Not even Cassandra or Barbara. You never deserved _any_ of them.”

Bruce twitched at the accusation.

Dick straightened his arm, holding the gun steady towards Bruce’s face. “Leave.”

Bruce’s face hardened. “Dick-”

“I will give you ten seconds to get out before I empty my gun into your goddamn face.” Dick promised.

“Just let me-”

“Nine.” Dick snapped. “Eight.”

“Dick-”

_“Seven.”_ He enunciated _. “Six.”_

“Bruce.” It was Jason, being supported against Tim’s side. They both looked hollow and drained.

“Jason, are you-”

“Just go.” Jason sighed coldly, averting his eyes, staring down at the dead boy in Dick’s arms.

Bruce closed his mouth, giving a slight nod to the standing couple as he began to back up, eyes never leaving Damian’s form. As soon as Dick deemed him far enough, he dropped the gun with a clatter, wrapping both arms tightly around the deceased child.

The last sound Bruce heard as he stepped through the doors was Dick’s agonized sob. 

**Author's Note:**

> [Other Red Hood!Dick stories.](http://fishfingersandjellybabies.tumblr.com/tagged/Redhood%21Dick+au)


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